I’d like to add another word of support for Cheryl’s expertise (http://www.myvinespace.com) – we met her at the Oct 2008 Wine Bloggers conf.

We have an IT technology background so Cheryl was able to quickly spun us up and in a matter of ~2 weeks we set up our Eagles Nest Winery blog at http://eaglesnestwinery.ning.com The blog augments our Web 1.0 site of similar URL http://eaglesnestwinery.com

Our blog approach was a bit different from Donati’s in that our site has membership that must be validated and is limited to only the closest of friends and winery fans/family.

We sought to establish a validated, safe, and intimate environment for our fans and friends to share and communicate – fenced from the general Internet population – not register thousands of members that other sites typically encourage.

The blog effectively serves as an ongoing interactive winery newsletter keeping fans and friends in touch with near-real-time with activities at the winery and vacation cottage as well as daily/weekly wine interest articles and posts. It’s a challenge getting non-techno saavy members to actively post but the site’s analytic data indicates a lot of readership activity.

It is our belief that small wineries that have not taken the leap to Social media are making a huge mistake.

The challenge is getting senior and middle-age folks more active in social media the young folks already get it.

Eagles Nest Winery & Cottage
Ramona, CA (near San Diego)
web http://eaglesnestwinery.com
blog http://eaglesnestwinery.ning.com

I keep checking in on you guys, because Donati Family Vineyard really did take that first giant leap into the social network world with your own wine space. It’s fascinating to watch.

Thank you for the link to our WineSpace. We are deeply thankful that you have kept us in mind in your blog. I agree that Cheryl is very intuitive, and executed the launching of our WineSpace beautifully. In fact, Cheryl was so great at this, that she did exactly what a consultant is meant to do- Lead the way, train the staff, and then step back.

We do regret that we could not retain her full-time to market for us, however her innovation has proved to be incredibly useful for our company as a sales tool, and a way to connect with our Paesanos and SLOcals alike. You should include a link on your next blog about Donati Family Vineyard to Cheryl’s Website, http://www.myvinespace.com.

I don’t know if you’re informed of all the new, exciting, things we have been up to at the winery here, but we have a Concierge Service for our wine club members, in-home wine parties, and the SLOcals club, where SLO residents receive 10% off, just for living in the area. Check our website often, we’re always up to new ways to make ourselves stand out.

Brandy Bell
Wine Club & Marketing Manager
Donati Family Vineyard

You are so correct… Those that jump on now will be so far ahead of the game that it will make them the leaders.

I know the mindset well, because I have to deal with that on a daily basis… And, I’m doing it from within the industry and 16 years of experience behind me, so it puts me on a different edge than those who aren’t yet on board. So, people can either believe me or not… It’s their choice.

Here’s the basics of the phychology:

There’s no right or wrong with this system… It’s just the way people internalize acceptance of something new.

The adoption process of a new idea happens this way:

Innovators – They’re the first to adopt. They’re eager risk takers. These people tend to be younger and well educated. They also have many contacts outside of their immediate social group, and rely on other innovators for their ideas, rather than sales people. (3 to 5 percent)

Early adopters – They’re well respected by their peers (they are the “Joneses”), and are most likely opinion leaders. They’re probably younger, more mobile, and more creative than most people. They have fewer contacts with the outside world than innovators, and are the ones who are the first to “get” what an innovator has brought forth. (10 to 15 percent)

Early majority – They avoid risks altogether. They cautiously wait to consider a new idea only after many early adopters have proven it to be successful. (They are the ones who are keeping up with the “Joneses”). These are not the opinion leaders, they’re the followers. (34 percent)

Late majority – They’re cautious about new ideas, quite possibly older and set in their ways. They’re less likely to understand innovators, and less likely to follow the early adopters. They need strong acceptance within their own group before they’d ever consider keeping up with the Joneses. (34 percent)

Laggards – They rely on what they’ve always done, and are very suspicious of any new idea. They also rely on other laggards for their new ideas, which means they move at the speed of a snail. (5 to 16 percent)

Traditional media is what the industry relies on for those all-important third party endorsements. And, as one colleague said to me as we walked out of that panel discussion, “I don’t care what anyone says, it’s still traditional media that’s going to sell my wine.”

It was edgy for a new generation, but it’s still the old guard that’s buying and selling wine, so “edgy beware” is my thought on that one.

The PR person did mention that he wouldn’t do that, again, because those of us in the wine business know that it could become professional suicide to go that route on a regular basis.

The only way I can explain it from the inside is to say… The mud that Rock Away was pulled though was of their own making; although no one saw the pitfalls until it had happened. On the surface, it was brilliant. On a deeper level, it flew in the face of tradition… And it’s tradition that’s built this city of Rock and Roll.

So, now there are two perspectives out there… Somewhere between the two lies the perfect truth.